Cong says it disagrees with SC order on quota in jobs

New Delhi, Feb 9: The Congress on Sunday said it disagreed with the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue of

reservation in appointments and promotions, and alleged that the rights of SC/ST communities are under threat during the BJP rule.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik said the party will raise the issue inside and outside parliament.

The Supreme Court has held that states are not bound to provide reservation in appointments and there is no fundamental right to claim quota in promotions.

“In view of the law laid down by this court, there is no doubt that the state government is not bound to make reservations. There is no fundamental right which inheres in an individual to claim reservation in promotions,” a bench of justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta said.

The apex court said this while dealing with pleas regarding Uttarakhand government’s September 5, 2012 decision when the Congress was in power in the state, to fill up all posts in public services in the state without providing reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

“We respectfully say that we do not agree with this decision…the rights of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes are not secured under the BJP government,” Wasnik said.

“The Congress party believes that the appointment of SC/ST people to government posts should not be at the discretion of governments, but it is the fundamental right conferred by the Constitution,” he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Congress spokesperson Udit Raj, who was also present at the press conference, said the matter shows the contradiction between the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the state, as the Centre in a similar case had pushed for reservation in promotions.

Taking on the saffron party, the Dalit leader said, “The BJP is basically against Dalits and reservation”.